This book focuses on how to improve America by first comparing its
performance with thirteen competitive industrial nations, then
identifying the best practices found throughout the world that can be
adopted here in the United States. Friedman lays out some disturbing
facts about America's lack of competitiveness in five key areas: health,
education, safety, equality, and even democracy. Taking the approach
that "data doesn't lie," Friedman notes alarming statistics, for
example:

Americans have the lowest life expectancy among all competitor nations.

Americans
are at least two times more likely to be murdered and four times more
likely to be incarcerated than any other competitor country, including
Japan, France, and the United Kingdom.

America shows the sharpest disparity between rich and poor among all nations on its competitor list.

Using
charts that clearly illustrate the unbiased, party-neutral data,
Friedman uncovers the major problem areas that the nation must address
to become a leader again. Homing in on best practices from other
countries than can be adapted to the United States, Friedman plots a
course to transform America from a corporate behemoth burdened by
internal issues and poor performance to a thriving business with an
exciting portfolio of solutions.

If America were a corporation, how would an independent analyst judge its ability to compete against other corporate giants? According to UN statistician Howard Steven Friedman, that hypothetical analyst would label America a corporate dinosaur and recommend that the nation either change or face extinction.